diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 305b6ab2c6..81ad97bf0f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -182,7 +182,6 @@ test-e2e-without-cluster: build-examples ## Run all of the core Zarf CLI E2E tes
 test-external: ## Run the Zarf CLI E2E tests for an external registry and cluster
 	@test -s $(ZARF_BIN) || $(MAKE)
 	@test -s ./build/zarf-init-$(ARCH)-$(CLI_VERSION).tar.zst || $(MAKE) init-package
-	@test -s ./build/zarf-package-podinfo-flux-$(ARCH).tar.zst || $(ZARF_BIN) package create examples/podinfo-flux -o build -a $(ARCH) --confirm
 	@test -s ./build/zarf-package-argocd-$(ARCH).tar.zst || $(ZARF_BIN) package create examples/argocd -o build -a $(ARCH) --confirm
 	cd src/test/external && go test -failfast -v -timeout 30m
 
diff --git a/src/internal/packager/sbom/catalog.go b/src/internal/packager/sbom/catalog.go
index 8d96f66628..948d3301a2 100755
--- a/src/internal/packager/sbom/catalog.go
+++ b/src/internal/packager/sbom/catalog.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func Catalog(ctx context.Context, componentSBOMs map[string]*layout.ComponentSBO
 	for _, refInfo := range imageList {
 		// TODO(mkcp): Remove message on logger release
 		builder.spinner.Updatef("Creating image SBOMs (%d of %d): %s", currImage, imageCount, refInfo.Reference)
-		l.Info("creating image SBOMs", "reference", refInfo.Reference)
+		l.Info("creating image SBOM", "image-name", refInfo.Reference)
 
 		// Get the image that we are creating an SBOM for
 		img, err := utils.LoadOCIImage(paths.Images.Base, refInfo)
diff --git a/src/test/external/common.go b/src/test/external/common.go
index 82fb0dabd4..452eb943d1 100644
--- a/src/test/external/common.go
+++ b/src/test/external/common.go
@@ -20,16 +20,18 @@ import (
 
 var zarfBinPath = path.Join("../../../build", test.GetCLIName())
 
-func createPodInfoPackageWithInsecureSources(t *testing.T, temp string) {
-	err := copy.Copy("../../../examples/podinfo-flux", temp)
+func createPodInfoPackageWithInsecureSources(t *testing.T, packageDir string) {
+	temp := t.TempDir()
+	err := copy.Copy("../../../examples/podinfo-flux", packageDir)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	// This is done because while .spec.insecure is auto set to true for internal registries by the agent
 	// it is not for external registries, however since we are using an insecure external registry, we still need it
-	err = exec.CmdWithPrint(zarfBinPath, "tools", "yq", "eval", ".spec.insecure = true", "-i", filepath.Join(temp, "helm", "podinfo-source.yaml"))
+	err = exec.CmdWithPrint(zarfBinPath, "tools", "yq", "eval", ".spec.insecure = true", "-i", filepath.Join(packageDir, "helm", "podinfo-source.yaml"))
 	require.NoError(t, err, "unable to yq edit helm source")
-	err = exec.CmdWithPrint(zarfBinPath, "tools", "yq", "eval", ".spec.insecure = true", "-i", filepath.Join(temp, "oci", "podinfo-source.yaml"))
+	err = exec.CmdWithPrint(zarfBinPath, "tools", "yq", "eval", ".spec.insecure = true", "-i", filepath.Join(packageDir, "oci", "podinfo-source.yaml"))
 	require.NoError(t, err, "unable to yq edit oci source")
-	err = exec.CmdWithPrint(zarfBinPath, "package", "create", temp, "--confirm", "--output", temp)
+	// avoiding Zarf cache because of flake https://github.com/zarf-dev/zarf/issues/3194
+	err = exec.CmdWithPrint(zarfBinPath, "package", "create", packageDir, "--confirm", "--output", packageDir, "--zarf-cache", temp)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "unable to create package")
 }